Electrode for arc-lamps and method of making the same.



N0.867,4'56. "PATENTED 0011,1007.

' W.S.WEEDON.

I ELECTRODE FOR ARC LAMPS AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME.

APPLIOATION FILED 01:0. 10, 1000.

WITNESSESY MENT R .fZW, w, vvimamawee on,

NITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMS. WEEDON, oF- so'iiE 'Eo'TriDY, NEW YoRK'AssIGNOR TO- GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A'CQBPORATION on NEW YORK.--

ELECTRODE FOR ARC-LA PS n D'Mfs'rnon or MAKING- THE SAME.

Specification of Il'iett ers Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed December 10, 1903-. Serial No. 184,653-

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. WEEDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county-of Schenectady and State oi-New Yorlghave invented certain new and useful Improvements in;

Electrodes for Arc-Lamps and. Methods of Making the' Same, of which the following is a specification.

. of containing a large amount of the sub-oxid of titanium a luminous arc is obtained which gives'a large amount of white light.

In the accompanying drawing 1 have shown in e'levat ion' an electrode constructed'in accordance with my invention..- I r i I In preparing electrodes containing sub-oxid of titaniuml prefer to proceed in the following manner: an intimate-mixture of about seven parts of rutile (T10 with rather" more tlian one part of carbon is formed. This mixture, when heated to a proper reducing temperature, somewhere-between 1500 and 2000 0., is converted into titanium sub-oxid. Before or after converting the mixture into titanium sub-oxid it is formed into pencils or the like which serve as the lamp electrodes. 'l hese pencils may be formedby first adding water, preferably containing a little. glycerin, to'the powdered mixture to render it pasty andthen molding or-pressing them into the desiredshape.

The titanium sub-oxid formed in the manner de-. scribed is dark bluish in color and the electrodes formed from it are homogeneous and possess consider-- able mechanical strength. As titanium sub-oxid is" a good conductor of electricity at ordinary temperatures, the electrodes formed out of it do not ordinarily require any special treatment to increase their conductivity;

when used; however, a non-conducting film.may be Patent of the United States, is,

t to oxygen is greater than in the titanium oxid (TiO -ducting metal, such as copper. The positive electrode should be so proportioned-that it will not be heated by the arcto a temperature which will result in its injurious oxidation.

. It will. be observed that'wifli the proportions a slight excess of carbonis employed in the mixture 'oyer that necessary to give the theoretical reaction between titanium oxid and carbon resulting in titanium sub oxid. This is desirable inord er to obtain the best results. i J

While substantially the entire amount oi rutile in the mixture isconverted into titanium sub ox'id, a small amount-may be converted into metallictitanihm and a small amount may retain its original 'form of titanium oxid. The presence of smallfainouuts of either-or both of these substances in the electrod es 'h owever, is of but slight if any disadvantage. r i H 1 Instead of forming electrodes composed entirely" or practically so of titanium 'subbxid, I may make elec-.

trodes out of a mixture containing more or less of tita' nium sub-oxid and various other materials.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters an electrically conductive containing substantially seven parts of titanium oxid and one part of' carhon,.formiug electrodes out of the mixture, andprior to the completion of the electrodes converting the mixture into titanium suh-0x idf An arc lamp electrode formed of an oxid of titanium conducting at ordinary temperatures. r v

6. An electrode containing a. chemical combination of titanium and oxygen in which the proportion of titanium In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of December, 1903;

, .WILLIAM S. WEEDQN. 

